About us
Elastikos Supported Accommodation is a company in Basildon SS16. We are inclusive, supportive and collaborative, and our goal is to build resilient young people that can add value to their community.
Our work environment includes:
- Flexible working hours
- Safe work environment
To provide support up to 4 young persons (who might have been previously looked after or UASC) aged 16 - 18 years old with varying degrees of challenging behaviour and low to medium mental health conditions in a 24-7 staffed semi-independent home.
The Role
The role is to offer and provide the young people daily life skills such as cooking, budgeting, accessing education, training or employment etc. This will be based around structured key work sessions. These sessions will aim to promote the life skills of young people and support their transition into adulthood. Youth Support Worker must have experience of working with young people with challenging behaviour and low to medium mental health conditions and must be enthusiastic and resilient. The role involves Sleep-In duties.
Key Responsibilities:
- Manage a young person living semi-independently in the community; you will be responsible in structuring key work sessions consistent with an independent placement agreement.
- Monitor the young person’s ability to engage with everyday living and develop skills where necessary by supporting their identified needs.
- Support the young person in settling within the community and accessing local resources.
- Encourage and support the young person in accessing education, training or employment as well as supporting them with any application process.
- Support and assist the young person around budgeting money, grocery shopping and administer a weekly subsistence allowance.
- Encourage the young person to engage and take part with positive activities within the community, building on relationships and developing social networks.
- Maintain accurate record/ log keeping.
- Maintain petty cash and receipts for each expenditure.
- To maintain the cleanliness and hygiene of the accommodation.
- Work with your line manager and the young person to develop a structured programme of key work sessions based upon the young person’s individual support needs and focussed on developing their self-confidence and esteem.
- Promote safe, consistent and understandable boundaries with the young person in conjunction with a 'Young Person’s Agreement’.
- Encourage the young person to take an active part in the local community, building relationships and maintaining social networks.
- Prepare high standard monthly progress reports regarding the young person’s progress which are submitted to the placing authority.
- Complete required paperwork/ administration.
- Work in partnership with other agencies and support the young people to attend meetings with other professionals. You will be required to attend admission and planning meetings; and attend Looked After Children’s Reviews ensuring all relevant paperwork is complete.
- You will be responsible to carry out weekly Health and Safety checks within the accommodation. You must record and report any repair work or damage to the property to ensure it is kept to a high standard.
- Maintain confidentiality of young people and report any concerns regarding young person’s welfare to your line manager.
- Attend staff meetings and training sessions as and when required.
- You will be expected to take part and attend structured supervision sessions at least once a month.
Person Specification- ESSENTIAL
Work Experience
- At least 1 year experience of working with young people
- Experience of working with young people involved in CSE, Missing, Gangs etc (Desired)
- Knowledge of CSE, Missing, Gangs etc (Essential)
- Working individually and within a team
- Experience of working with trauma experienced young people
Qualifications
- Minimum NVQ level 2 award in Health & Social Care or its equivalent
- Be committed to completing QCF /NVQ Level 3 award in Health & Social Care (Children) within a set time frame.
Personal attributes and child centred approach
- Working individually and within a team
- Self-motivated and a positive attitude
- Ability to engage with young people in a positive and proactive approach
- Sense of humour
- Self organisation
- Sensitive and reflective
- Honesty and reliability
- Ability to listen and empathise
- Ability to assess risks
- Ability to think on the spot and act quickly should a challenging situation arise
- Ability to diffuse situations calmly and effectively
- Ability to build positive rapport with young people to ensure successful outcomes.
Job related knowledge and skills
- Effective communication skills: recording and report writing and verbal communication.
- Awareness of non-verbal communication i.e. eye contact and personal space etc
- A professional and caring value base i.e. consistency and empathy
Work Conditions
- Ability to lone work with individual/group of young people
- Commit to work including evening and weekends.
- Sleep-In duties
- Willing to work additional hours to cover sickness and holidays and to work in other homes within your area.
- Willing to work Bank Holidays & Christmas Holidays
- Have good medical health
- Successful candidate will be required to complete a Health Questionnaire and a Rehabilitation Of Offenders Declaration Form
Experience:
- Working with Children and Young People: 1 year (Essential)
- Residential: 1 year (Preferred)
- Experience of working with young people involved in CSE, Missing, Gangs etc (Desired)
- Knowledge of CSE, Missing, Gangs etc (Essential)
- Experience working with Trauma experienced young people
Education:
- GCSE A Level or equivalent (Essential)
Licence:
- Driving License (Desired)
Candidates should be aware that all posts in Elastikos involve some degree of responsibility for safeguarding children, although the extent of that responsibility will vary according to the nature of the post.
Job Types: Full-time, Part-time, Contract, Permanent
Salary: £12.72.00-£13.50 per hour
Job Types: Full-time, Part-time, Permanent, Temp to perm, Zero hours contract
Pay: £12.72-£13.50 per hour
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Basildon, Essex: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (preferred)
Education:
- GCSE or equivalent (preferred)
Experience:
- Support Work: 1 year (preferred)
Work Location: In person
